American Business Council of Dubai & the Northern Emirates
November 17, 2011 -For Immediate ReleaseU.S. Under Secretary Shapiro speaks at the biennial American Business Council-AmCham Air Show Breakfast DUBAI - The American Business Council of Dubai and the Northern Emirates (ABC) and AmCham Abu Dhabi held an early morning breakfast November 15 in Dubai where prominent members of the American business community to came to hear keynote speaker Andrew J. Shapiro, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, US Department of State, discuss US business abroad and the US defense sector. The ABC-AmCham joint breakfast was held during the 12th Dubai Air Show to support the American business community’s interaction with the many visiting US aerospace and defense industry executives. T he Dubai Air Show, the premiere showcase of aviation and air defense products in the Middle East, typically results in billions of dollars of aircraft and defense contracts. The joint ABC-AmCham Air Show breakfast has become a tradition during the Air Show among US military, diplomats, local and visiting industry CEOs, among them: Greg Golden, President of AmCham Abu Dhabi, John Podgore, President of ABC, and diplomats, US Ambassador to the UAE, Michael Corbin and Justin Siberell, US Consul General of Dubai. Assistant Secretary Shapiro was clear in his message that defense contracts are an important oversight function for the State Department saying, “Despite the tough global economy, demand for U.S. defense sales abroad remains robust. For four consecutive years, U.S. Foreign Military Sales or FMS have exceeded $30 billion. Foreign military sales increased by approximately 9% from last year. The other component of U.S. arms sales, Direct Commercial Sales or DCS, is also increasing. Based on the first three quarters of this year, we anticipate that by the end of the year, the State Department will have received and reviewed over 85,000 DCS cases – the largest ever.” Andrew J. Shapiro was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs in 2009. Prior to joining the State Department with the Secretary, he served from 2001 to 2009 as Senator Clinton's Senior Defense and Foreign Policy Advisor as the primary policy advisor on national security issues including Senator Clinton's work on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Previously, Mr. Shapiro was counsel to the Justice Department's International Competition Policy Advisory Committee, and was an associate at the Washington, DC law firm Covington & Burling. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Institute of Strategic Studies.
Assistant Secretary Shapiro went on to quote State Department Secretary Clinton, “the United States is profoundly committed to the security, stability, and development of the Gulf region”. About the American Business Council The American Business Council of Dubai and the Northern Emirates (ABC) operates under the auspices of Dubai Chamber of Commerce &Industry and functions as the Dubai Chapter of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Since its founding in 1985, the ABC has supported American business and acts as a liaison between government and commercial entities. The American Business Council is a 500 plus member driven organization. Fortune 500 companies and key business leaders are representative of the council’s member profile. ABC provides a foundation for understanding and interaction with the local business community and its members. Members are supported through a robust calendar of round table discussions, corporate, networking and social opportunities. www.abcdubai.com About AmCham Abu Dhabi AmCham Abu Dhabi (the trademark of the American Business Group of Abu Dhabi) is a member of the global network of American Chambers of Commerce. The AmCham mission is to promote commerce, investment and goodwill between the United States of America, the membership, the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates. www.amchamabudhabi.org About the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs The Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM) is the Department of State's principal link to the Department of Defense. The PM Bureau provides policy direction in the areas of international security, security assistance, military operations, defense strategy and plans, and defense trade. http://www.state.gov/t/pm/